lewis



No. 62|,a'52. Patented Mar. 2|, I899. F. M. LEWIS.

SUPPLY OF CURRENT TO AND GOVERNING ARC LAMPS.

(Applipation filed Dec. 28, 1897.)

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Patented Mar. 2|, I899.

F. M. LEWIS. SUPPLY OF CURRENT TO AND GOVERNING ARC LAMPS.

(Application filed Dec. 28. 1897' 2 Sheets-Shet' 2.

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UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. LEwIs, or LoNDoN, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR or THREE-FOURTHS To TIIE MUTUAL ELECTRIC TEUsT, LIMITED, OF BRIGHTON, ENGLAND.

SUPPLY OF CURRENT TO AND GOVERNING ARC-LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,352, dated March 21, 1899.

Application filed December 28, 1897. $erial No. 663,989. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK MICHAEL LEwIs, 'a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and

a resident of London, in the county of Mid dlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connection with the Supply of Current to and Governing Arc- Lamps, (for which Letters Patent No. 6,825 of Great Britain were granted under date of March 16, 1897,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in connection with the supply of current to and governing arc-lamps by means of which certain advantages are obtained.

My invention is based upon the employment of what for the purposes of this specification I shall term a transforming-actuator that is to say, a device which while performing the functions of a transformer in changing the alternating pressure of the current supplied from the mains at the same time per formsthe function of striking the arc and regulating the distance between the carbons during burning.

In carrying my invention into effect I employ a transforming-actuator of one of three types, one of which I shall for the purposes of this specification term the movable-coil transforming-actuator type, the second the fixed-coil transforming-actuator type, and the third the compensating transformingactuator type.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a diagram illustrating the employment of the movable-coil type of transforming-actuator; Fig. II, a diagram illustrative of the fixedcoil type of transforming-actuator. Fig. III is a diagram illustrating the known principle of a compensator. Fig. IV is a diagram illustrating the employment of a compensating transforming-actuator. Fig. V is a side elevation, partly in section, of the working parts of an arc-lamp constructed under my invention; and Fig. VI is an end elevation of the same parts.

Referring now to Fig. I, l 1 are the supplymains, and 2 the are between the carbons 3 3. 4 is the magnetic circuit of a transformer, of which the coils 5 5 form the primary winding and 6 6 the secondary winding. The primary coils 5.5 are connected directly to the mains or leads 1 l, as shown, while the secondary coils 6 6 are connected, as shown, to the carbons. Coils 6 6 are stationary upon the magnetic circuit, while coils 5 5 are connected together by a rigid support, and with the said support are capable of angular movement around the axis 7. When the current is switched onto coils 5 5, a secondary current is induced in coils 6 6. Repulsion will then take place between the movable and fixed coils, as will readily be understood, and this movement is transmitted by any desired mechanical transmitting mechanism to the carbons, .so as to regulate or govern the length of the arc.

Fig. II isa diagram illustratingatransforming-actuator of what I have termed the fixedcoil type. In this case 5 is the primary coil, connected with the mains, and 6 the second ary coil, connected with the are 2. 111 this case it will be noticed that both coils are fixed. 8 is a projecting pole-piece upon the magnetic circuit 4, and 9 is a soft-iron keeper or armature hinged, for example, to the said magnetic circuit. Here it will be seen that variations in the arc will cause variation in the attraction between the projecting polepiece 8 and the keeper 9. By connecting the carbons to the said keeper 9 by means of suitable mechanism the arc will be regulated, as will be readily understood. 7 Fig. III is adiagram illustrating the know principle of the compensator, (or what is sometimes termed an economy coil,) which need not be described here further than to say that the are 2 is in shunt to part 6 of the coil.

Fig. IV shows the application of the principle of the compensator to the form of transformer shown in Fig. I, so as to constitute one form of a compensating transforming-actuator. Here it will be seen that the connections are the same as in Fig. III and that the length of arc is governed by the move* ment of the coils 5 5, as before.

I shall now proceed to describe an actual form of arc-lamp constructed in accordance with my invention and which gives good results in practice. This form is illustrated in Figs. Y and VI. I desire it to be understood that I lay no claim to the mechanism by which the movement of the movable coils is transmitted to the carbons. Referring now to these figures, I is the magnetic circuit of the compensating transformer, consisting, as usual in transformers, of thin laminae of soft iron. 5 5 are the movable coils and are rigidly attached together and free to turn angularly on the center 7. (3 6 are the fixed coils. 10 is a connecting-rod articulated at its upper extremity 11 to the lower check of movable coil 5, while its lower extremity is articulated at the point 12 to the lever 13, which is capable of angular movement on the spindle 14. Upon the said spindle 1-t is mounted a pulley 15, which is capable of turningindependently of lever 13. Over the said pulley 15 passes the chain 16 17 to the extremities of which are attached the carbon-holders, the part 17 of the chain leading to the upper carbon and the part 16 to the lower carbon. The upper-carbon holder is weighted so as to tend to bring the carbons together by gravity. Upon lever 13 is pivoted the click or brake 18, which is designed to engage either with the pulley or with the cord itself when its GXiGllSlOl1-Pl6CO 151 is unsupported by the stop 20, preferably adjustable. 21 is an adjusting-weight capable of helical movement along the threaded extension 22 of lever 13, as will readily be understood. is a dash-pot employed for the usual well-known purpose of dash-pots in arclamps.

The action of the lamp is as follows: Let us assume that the current is switched off from the lamp and that gravity has brought the carbons together,the pulley having turned freely owing to the brake 18 being held in its removed position by stop acting on extension-piece 19. The carbons are now together, as slated,rand the coils are in the position shown in Fig. V. Let us now assume that the current is switched on. Coils 5 5 are now repelled by coils t5 6. Connecting-rod 10 and extremity 12 of lever 13 are depressed while the weighted extremity of the lever is raised. Brake-block 18 is now no longer withheld from engagement with the chain through extension-piece 19 being supported by stop 20, and it thereforegrips the said chain and with further repulsion of the coils 5 causes part 17 of the chain to be raised and the arc to be struck. As the current diminishes with the burning away of the carbons coils 5 approach more nearly to coils (3, extremity 12 of lever 13 is raised,and the carbons are brought closer together. Further movement in the same direction causes disengagement of the brakeblocl: from the chain, and by repetition of this cycle of operations the arc is maintained constant.

It will be seen that by my invention several important advantages are obtained and I am able to run alternating-current lamps from the ordinary supplyanains without the insertion of resistances or choking-coils. Thus in a recent test of one of my lamps, run from a two-hundred-and-twenty-volt circuit, it use( 2.67 ampercs at that pressure,while 8.73 amperes were employed on the are at a lower pressure.

Of the types of my device specified I prefer the compensating transtorming-actuator type.

I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise form of transforming-actuator herein described. It is obvious that any one skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may modify the structural details to an indefinite extent without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It will be understood that the eompensating transtorming-actuators may be made with fixed coils as well as with movable coils, the principle of the compensator being applied to the form of transformer shown diagrammaticallyin Fig. II instead of to that shown in Fig. I. Thus under mythird type of transformingactuator I include not only compensating transforming-actuators having a movable coil or coils, but compensating transforming-actuators having the coils fixed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An arc lamp comprising a transformeractuator and means controlled by the transformer-actuator for regulating the arc, substantially as described.

An arc-lamp comprising a transformeractuator having a coil to be placed in circuit with the arc and means controlled by the transformer-actuator for regulating the are, substantially as described.

An arc-lamp comprising a transformeraetuator having a coil to be placed in shunt 0f the arc and means controlled by the transformer-actuator for regulating the arc, substantially as described.

4. An arc-lamp comprising a movable-coil transformer actuator having a coil to be placed in circuit with the arc and means controlled by the movable coil for regulating the are, substantially as described.

5. An arc-lamp comprising a movable-coil transformer actuator having a coil to be placed in shunt of the arc and means controlled by the movable coil for regulating the are, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 15th day of December, 1807, in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK M. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

Janus G. Lona-xix, JOHN II. CHANDLER. 

